The summer flu swept through the Hanna household with full fanfare this month! You know the kind of ick I'm talking about.... you feel fine one night and wake up the next morning in a fog of congestion, and then it all rolls downhill from there. It's going on three weeks now, fighting fever and coughing fits and sneezing attacks and, I imagine, another week or two to go! Because... and here is where I get to the point of this post.... I keep working!

While some might say it's admirable to push through illness, stay productive, get things done, it's also, without at least some moderation, seriously detrimental to recovery. A cold can seem a small thing at its start but, without self-care, can spiral into weeks of congested, sleepless nights. I was a zombie for four straight days and, just when I started to feel human again, I think "Right! Let's do this!" and jump ring back into my list of to-dos. And then a day later my body says "Hey now, you listen here, you will sit still if I have to make you sit still".

​And it does.

Don't get me wrong. Despite the brain fog, through the constant stream of tissues and cough syrup, I'm proud of what I accomplished. I didn't just complete pieces, or write blog posts, or attend an event. I tried entirely new techniques! And you know... I'm straight-up tickled by the progress I made these last two weeks when I fought for the energy to work and experiment and fail and experiment again.

But, it was wrong. Strange to say it, I admit. But I was wrong to push myself.

Now, I wasn't wrong to try new things. Let me be entirely clear about that. Expanding a skill set is a necessity for the creative soul. But, I was wrong to try new things at the expense of not listening to my body.

So, if I have any advice for the creative souls out there, or the solepreneuers working towards living a successful creative life, it's this: take care of yourself. Don't just feed your creative spirit. That's important, yes, but it's not everything. What good is that spirit if the body is too weak to contain it, after all.

And if you're in the business of being creative, if you're livelihood depends on your ability to maintain a certain amount of productivity, plan ahead. Reserve work or blog posts or social media posts to share during those days when self-care is a pre-requisite for continued forward momentum and you haven't the energy or will to actively create. And then, when you've scheduled your next blog post and you've shared a piece you made four months ago, take a lay down on the couch, watch a little (or a lot of) Netflix, drink some warm tea and rest. Rest your body. Rest your mind.

One of the questions I'm asked most frequently is whether or not it's okay to copy a design, or how similar a design needs to be before it requires attribution to the inspiring artist. I wish I could say "The short answer is...." but, sadly, as with most things in life, it's not quite that simple.

Let's get the obvious out of the way. If you've paid for a tutorial, followed a tutorial offered for free, or otherwise have verbal or written permission from the artist to replicate a design, feel free! As an aside, it should be noted I'm discussing a complete design and not technique. Techniques are not protected by copyright laws. If you see a weave you like in another design, for instance, use it! But use it creatively and originally. I learned the netted bezel technique from the Eni Oken tutorial, pictured below, and used that technique with an original woven frame. Whether I used the tutorial or not to replicate the technique, it was utilized in an original design and therefore not a copy of the design. While attribution is the polite thing to do, in this instance, it's not a legal requirement.

This is also not a post about "accidental replication". You know what I mean.... those instances when two artists who have never met, nor been introduced to the other's work, somehow create pieces that are incredibly similar. While truly rare (especially in an age of Pinterest), this does happen. If you find yourself in this situation, and one artist can prove provenance (their piece was completed first), and they request a cease and desist, it's my opinion that the easiest and most professional thing to do is comply. Honestly, this isn't the end of the world. There are other pieces to be made.

As in my other posts on copyright, I'll reiterate that the idea you can change some variably-defined percentage of a design and still call it original is muddy waters, at best. There is no magic percentage that will protect you from copyright infringement. If you've been heavily influenced by another artist, the easiest way you can protect yourself and your work is to ask the influencing artist their opinion on the piece. Worst case scenario they say "Hey, that's a little too on the nose and reminiscent of the piece I made last month. I'd appreciate if you refrained from sharing or selling your version of my design." It happens. As artists, I understand we're often emotionally invested in the work we complete, and this response can rattle our sense of creative self, for lack of more effective phrasing. Rule of thumb: if you ask yourself "is this too close to (insert design here)", then it probably is. Ask the inspiring artist and go from there. ​

With that said, copying has it's place in the creative world. Artists, for thousands of years, have copied and emulated the work of masters as a study to improve their own techniques and discover their own style. I often find photographs I like online and use those as a reference to sketch. If those photographs are not open source (ie free for use), I do not share my sketches utilizing those protected images. They are just for me, to help me improve my skills, and they stay between the covers of my sketchbook. It's good to remember that not everything our fingers touch needs to go out into the world for recognition. So if you see a design on Pinterest, and you want to give it a go, I'll be the last person to say "Hey now.... whatcha think you're doing?". But I would caution, loudly, these replicas should not be shared or sold, even with attribution, without permission from the inspiring artist. If you can't determine who the inspiring artist is, don't share it. I like to err on the side of caution.

I suppose, in the end, the answer is simpler than I'd originally anticipated when I sat down to write this post.

Ask.

When in doubt, ask the inspiring artist. When in doubt, ask for the opinion of an impartial third party. Can or should you copy? Yes to both. There's a place and time for it. What you do with that copy, or how you handle copyright infringement claims as a result of that copy, is another matter entirely.

In the end, folks, I encourage only one thing... stay creative and happy weaving!

I am not exactly an Instagram addict, but I can easily lose 30 minutes of my life scrolling through my feed. Wait... that doesn't exactly support my original assertion, does it?

Moving along.

I wanted to share with you my favorite Instagram feeds to follow. Maybe you'll find them as inspiring as I do! Just click their names to view their feeds!

1. Joybird. I'm not going to lie. I love Joybird furniture. I want to outfit my entire house with it. I want to live in their Instagram feed, wrap myself up in art deco light fixtures beneath a brilliant blue couch.

2. Pitch Pine Pottery. I have a weakness for pottery... specifically coffee mugs. Probably born of my addiction to coffee, but I'm fairly certain if (gods forbid) coffee was striped from the earth, I'd still own a ridiculous number of handcrafted mugs. I love having them on my desk, being inspired by their art while I work, and feel a little indulgent when drinking from them.

3.Ravens Meadow. One of these days, I'll own all her work and may not even put a single one in wire, because they tell such powerful stories on their own.

4. Tammy Kanat. Five years ago, if you'd asked me, I'd say that I'd never much bothered to decorate my walls. I was, you could say, severely practical in home decor. But this artist's work with fibers is absolutely inspirational. I could easily cover every wall, ceiling to floor, with her work and live in a fantasy.

5. Gracemerewoods. So much detail on such tiny canvases. I could imagine myself with an entire family of these creatures in my home, keeping me company, taunting my cats, and generally just being awesome.

6. Spirit Nectar. If ever there was jewelry that captured pure magic, this would be it. Any single piece and I'm lost in the woods with the fey.

7. Terri Foss. And keeping with the theme of mysticism and magic, check out the amazing artwork of Terri Foss, where everything is a fairy tale and all those tales include witches!

9. Moonchild Tarot. I have a problem. I collect tarot decks. A lot of them. To be fair, I've downsized my collection from over 200 decks to (a respectable, I think) 50. And until I get my hands on a copy of the Moonchild Tarot, their Instagram feed will have to do.

10. Homesweethell. Everything about this appeals to my inner goth. So very very much.

Perfectionism. The creative spirit in all of us has, at one time or another, fallen victim to the pursuit of perfection. While I use the word "victim" dramatically, it's also honest, because striving for perfection is one of the most damaging habits creators can build in themselves.

When I create, no matter what medium I choose to use, I am telling a story. Every story should (if it's a good one) tell a certain truth, express in its telling an honest representation of its author, even if through fictional, mystical or metaphorical means. These stories aren't always unicorns and rainbows. There is pain. There is sadness and loss. There may be anger and frustration. And these are all valid aspects to include and represent in our work, because what we create is a direct mirror of our lives and what happens behind the creative process.

"Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever be good enough - that we should try again." - Julia Cameron

When I create a piece of jewelry, I am not just making jewelry, something functional or impersonal, but am expressing the day I've had, or the month or the year, which all translates into the wire I weave. When you see an extra turn of the wire in a weave, a visible join or a kink, for instance, that is the part in my story when I was thinking about how my son was hit by a drunk driver while riding his bike home from work (he's thankfully very much okay), or realizing that my dinner has burned (again), or enjoying the constant distraction of my cats.

And, while many a jewelry artist may disagree with me here, I'm not keen to edit that from my story. I don't want to undo the pages I've just written until what the audience sees is a superficial, staged look at my life. There's no shame in accidents, and I'm never likely to call much of anything a "mistake". Don't get me wrong... if it's meant to be worn, it should serve that purpose without hindrance... poking wires or jiggling stones. This isn't an invitation to be intentionally sloppy, after all. But to nitpick the number of coils, or the kink in a wire, seems to strip from the story a truth.

So no. I will not fall into the trap that perfectionism sets. I will not lose the parts of my story that make me real and keep me honest. I have a feeling there's an audience out there who appreciates the imperfections of others.

Stay creative. Be a superhero in how you express yourself. Be fearless and unapologetic and embrace your story from start to finish.

Creativity is about the expression of a vision, and those visions are a direct reflection of our lives. Sometimes, life is messy. Life is imperfect.

That's right, folks! It's time for my first VIP newsletter subscriber giveaway! I realized this past month, after the "Finish It!" contest closed, that I've done a giveaway for Instagram, for my Facebook page and group, and held contests, but never hosted a giveaway for my newsletter peeps who graciously accept my rambling into their email inbox a couple times a month. And it was high time I changed that! So I'm giving away this copper and labradorite pendant, with the giveaway closing to new subscribers June 30th and a winner announced July 1st!

If you're already subscribed, no worries, you're automatically entered to win! And not only are you in the running for this prize, but I have four video tutorials planned in the coming months exclusively for subscribers, as well as awesomesauce holiday coupon codes and PDF lessons, all only available through my newsletter. But I promise... I wont hit your inbox with general ramblings five times a week or anything excessive. I like to keep things mellow and on point and only share with you goodies, deals and new releases.

Giveaway is open world-wide. I'll ship anywhere!

All you have to do is click the link above and subscribe!

Giveaway is available to new subscribers through June 30th, 2018.

Thank you so much for all your continued support, for being part of my creative family here on my site and my social media platforms. Every day I'm blessed to read your comments, your encouragement, learn about you and share a bit of myself with you in return.

What do I do when it's a day off and I have a camera and a beautiful niece with nothing better to do than spend an afternoon with her aunt? I messaged her with "Hey, wanna go get thrown out of Hobby Lobby with me?" and a link to this video. I shouldn't have been surprised when she agreed, so I charged my camera batteries, packed extra SD cards, and off we went to complete the Hobby Lobby Challenge!

What is the Hobby Lobby Challenge, you ask? It's basically taking staged photos inside your local Hobby Lobby (or any craft store.... any store at all for that matter). Both of my nieces are always game to help me add new photos to my website, and are always (seemingly) keen to wear my jewelry for a bit and earn a little modeling fee, or free lunches, or both.

So, I'd packed my camera inside my rather large purse... I didn't want to be too obvious and bring my camera bag, stand and flash, you know. So I stuck to basics and even used my phone a few times.

And straight to the floral department we headed! Now, I'll say that our local Hobby Lobby had a mostly, surprisingly sparse floral department with lots of unattractive

shelving units, tags and posts visible between the vines and flowers, so most of these images required a rather intensive amount of post-editing. But I used free software with Photoscape and Snapseed, and it's easy to get a good basis for some great life-style shots this way. Plus, the weather was uncooperative with a light but steady rain, so an indoor location like this was an ideal exercise in photographic creativity.

Surprisingly, we weren't asked to leave, as we wove our way from aisle to aisle, taking time to change out jewelry pieces, me directing her to stand a certain way, between certain vines or flowers. Employees and customers alike passed us by, some quizzical and some giggling with that "I watched those YouTube videos too" type of knowing that any of us who have fallen down that rabbit hole can understand.

Tarissa was such a sport! She chose her own outfit for the shoot, which worked out beautifully with the greenery of the floral department, and she was never too shy to sit on the floor, sit on shelving units, tuck herself behind fake ferns and generally just rock it!

We were really only there for about 30 minutes before I stashed my camera back in my purse and we shared a great lunch. I managed to take and edit over 20 solid images. In my excitement, I (ahem) didn't take the time to properly adjust my camera settings beforehand, so many images taken before I realized my error couldn't be salvaged. Still.... I couldn't be more tickled with the end results.

Have you done the Hobby Lobby Challenge? Are you willing to do one now? I'd love to see the images you end up with if you give it a go!

I have long had a fascination with world religion and mythology, so much that it was a major of mine in those long-ago college days, amidst hurried term papers and (gulp) group discussion on the complete works of Chaucer (read in Middle English, no less).

And those were good times, discussing all the theisms... diving eagerly into the mythos of cultures, societies and religious proclivities and discovering the magic of each.

Even in my youth, I surrounded myself with literature on Greek and Roman mythology, which I inhaled with (what I've been told by my mother) was a need unnatural for most 12 year-olds. The personification of an otherwise untouchable and unknowable divine presence was an exercise, for me, in creative reasoning. And the desire to understand the intangible has carried me through the years and manifested itself in my art... whatever incarnation that art has taken.

And when that art turned to wire wrapping, it was no surprise to me the stories I began to tell.

The Goddess Collection was born from my love of ancient pantheistic practice. It is my attempt at personifying, in wire, the essence of the divine presence, and capturing the magical stories of cultures the world over, sometimes seemingly long forgotten or ignored.

The pieces in this collection all utilize multiple stones, gathered together in a bezel of wire that is sometimes chaotic but always organic. Once I've chosen an ancient archetypal story to tell, I sit with the stones and the wire and allow the characters to manifest in my thoughts before taking to task the tools at hand.

I suppose it's a rather abstract representation of Gaia, for instance, to see a collection of Imperial Jasper and carnelian stones huddled together in a nest of curling copper. And her story may not be immediately clear to the casual observer. But I come to know her, or what her story represents, while I sit with the wire and allow it to move and dictate to me the direction it takes. Though I've been told or have read her tale many times over the years, each piece that I make in my effort to express her story in art is always unique, always showcasing an emotional connection that I've made to the Gaia in me, for lack of a simpler explanation.

I imagine this collection will be a long-standing one for my work. The opportunity to tell these ancient stories, however limited by my skills and technical knowledge, is one more step towards embracing the goddess within.

Tis the season! Yes... the gift-giving season is upon us (especially good for those like me who gift ourselves a few treats now and then... ahem), so I'm writing a quick missive in preparation for the upcoming holiday.

I wanted to remind everyone that I will be offering a pretty fabulous coupon code during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend for those who are newsletter subscribers. So check the opt-in form below to take advantage of the coming offers.

I try my super duper best to keep newsletters as minimally intrusive to your inbox as possible, sending (at most) two a month. So, rest assured, you wont be receiving the knock of unexpected company (daily or weekly) in your email sacred space.

The newsletter is a nifty resource to catch up on the latest tidbits if you've missed recent blogs, product offers, or social media posts, all as concisely (I hope) as possible, tucked neatly into one or two emails a month. The occasional special offer is my way to thank you for your trust that I wont totally ruin your email experience!

Alas, I am also obliged to say that I am no longer accepting requests for custom work, for an indeterminate amount of time. I will not be maintaining a waiting list of requests, since I currently have no plans to open to requests in the foreseeable future. This will, I hope, allow me the opportunity to focus on learning and utilizing new techniques and materials in the months and years to come, expanding my "mental toolbox" if you will, and adding to the skill-sets involved in producing my creations. All available work is posted in my storeand updated as frequently as I can produce and will, undoubtedly, often indulge the one-of-a-kind tendencies of a raving wire-weaving addict!

I want to wish you all an amazing up-coming holiday season at least until we see each other again (soon, I hope!). May your days be as stress-free as possible while you track down all the weirdly specific items on your holiday gift-giving list! My son wants a light saber stick-shift USB port for his car and I'm not ashamed to admit that I have no idea what that is! Ah, Christmas. Good times.

Below are some resources for starting a business or building a website. These posts are not all-inclusive and are based on my personal experience building my home-based brand. I am in no way an expert on entrepreneurial endeavors, and continue to stumble my way through this journey. Hopefully, these posts will help you avoid the same stumbles.

Just take a quick scroll through the Pinterest album of contest entries and look at this picture to the left, and you can see just how a single set of instructions can lend itself towards 65 totally unique designs, imbued with the personality and creativity of its makers.

This is why I love hosting these contests. It, hopefully, stretches the imagination of those who enters and maybe

even makes them a little uncomfortable. Because creative discomfort sometimes paves a beautiful path towards individual expression. And this contest was so full of gloriousness that I'm seriously considering more wire-only challenges in the future. While stones and beads are complimentary and lovely accessories, it's the wire work I fell in love with all those years ago when I made the first tentative steps towards my future, so I'm more than a little biased with my love of wire. And this contest, with these entries, just fueled that love even more!

There are two categories judged in each "Finish It!" Design Challenge. A group favorite, where only participants are allowed to cast a single vote for their favorite entry. And a judged favorite, reached by a consensus of 7 non-participants, including consumers and other wire-artists.

The group favorite will receive my finished version of this pendant, and any 10 Nicole Hanna Jewelry tutorials of their choice. The judged favorite will also receive any 10 Nicole Hanna Jewelry tutorials of their choice (not that any of the entrants need my help!).

And everyone gets bragging rights! Because I know this wasn't an easy challenge. There was an obscene amount of wire involved, and the focus stayed entirely on the design utilizing that wire, without the distraction of beads or stones.

So please.... take a look at the winners below: Penny Sanchez and Daune Price-Hannah, and give them the warmest and most-deserved congrats!

Group Favorite: Penny Sanchez

Judged Favorite: Daune Price-Hannah

And definitely stay tuned for more "Finish It!" Design Challenges. While I have no more planned for this year, I do already have them tentatively scheduled for next year, with some new approaches in consideration! And if, in the next contest, we break 100 entries, I'll be offering a few more goodies for our winners and participants, so definitely stay tuned!

Until then, beautiful souls, stay creative and happy weaving! Any many thanks to the truly amazing and talented folks who entered! By accepting the challenge, you filled these past few weeks for me with inspiration and joy.